1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to power distribution systems and more particularly to a power distribution system for supplying power to a plurality of spaced apart work stations as typically found in modular furniture environments.
2. Description of the Related Art
Desk tops, modular tables and similar modular furniture installations frequently employ modular power distribution systems having electrical segments which simply plug together and can be easily rearranged each time the modular furniture arrangement is modified rather than requiring the services of an electrician. One simple form of such a wiring system has a plurality of work stations each coupled to an adjacent one by a pluggable jumper. One of the work stations is plugged to a source of electrical energy and the remaining ones receive power sequentially from an adjacent one by way of the jumpers. This form may employ only one circuit having conventional hot, neutral and ground wires. The unlimited chaining together of such work stations may violate electrical wiring codes.
The present invention provides an electrical power distribution system well suited to sequentially connecting a plurality of work stations which imposes a limit on the number and/or the sequence in which the work stations are concatenated.
The invention comprises, in one form thereof, an electrical power distribution system for supplying electrical energy from a source to at least two power utilization devices and includes a power tap having a power lead for connection to a first power utilization device, two pair of matable connectors, each pair having one or more portions which preclude mating between either connector from one pair and a connector from the other pair. One connector pair supplies electrical energy from the source by way of the power lead to the first power utilization device and the other connector pair supplies electrical energy from the power tap to a second power utilization device. Each pair of matable connectors includes a pattern of interengaging segments and recesses with the pair pattern for one pair differing from the pair pattern for the other pair.
Also in general, and in one form of the invention, an electrical power distribution system for supplying electrical energy to at least two power utilization devices has at least two power taps, each having an electrical inlet connector, an electrical outlet connector and a power lead for connection to power utilization equipment. The two inlet connectors are configured differently from one another. A power transmitting jumper has an electrical connector at each of the opposite ends thereof for interconnecting the outlet connector of the first power tap to the inlet connector of the second power tap. One of the jumper electrical connectors is configured to connect to the inlet connector of the second power tap, but not to the first power tap, and the other jumper electrical connector configured to connect to the outlet of the first power tap, but not to the second power tap. A power supply jumper has a power plug electrical connector at one end for receiving electrical energy from a source and another universally configured connector adapted to connect to either one of the power tap inlet connectors at the other end.
An advantage of the present invention is that an unskilled workman can not violate electrical wiring code provisions and/or create an unsafe condition by concatenating an excessive number of work stations.
Another advantage is that the maximum number of work stations that can receive power from a single source is limited.
A further advantage is that the sequence in which a number of work stations can be chained together by interconnecting jumpers is strictly determined by keyed work station and jumper connector configurations.